2014 NFL Draft Player Profiles – Minnesota DT Ra’Shede Hageman

We are well on our way to breaking down as many players as possible leading up to the 2014 NFL Draft. Several of these players that we are scouting are potentially fits for the Pittsburgh Steelers and we hope you enjoy these profiles.

Today, we’ll discuss Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman.

Ra’Shede Hageman/DT Minnesota: 6’6 311

The Good

– Impressive build

– Disengages with long arms

– Athletic

– Great leg power

– Gets up to speed quickly

– Brings feet when tackling

The Bad

– 24 in August

– Played mostly 1 and 3 technique defensive tackle

– Inconsistent effort

– Inconsistent hand placement

– Inconsistent pad level

– Never asked to drop

Other

– 2013 ALL-Big Ten First Team (Coaches)

– 2013 ALL-Big Ten First Team (Media)

– Bronko Nagurski Award

– Overcame troubled childhood

When you look at the measurables and build of Hageman, you can’t help but be impressed. He is athletic and gets up the field in the hurry. In addition, he is not a lumberer as he can move sideline to sideline when he wants to.

Hageman mostly played the 1 and 3-technique at Minnesota, so if he is drafted by a 3-4 defensive team to play defensive end, he will have to learn all of the nuances of the 5-technique and how to hold the point of attack effectively. He mostly one gapped at Minnesota, but has shown that he can two-gap. He is, however, inconsistent at anchoring against double teams.

Here is a look at Hageman when he really has his motor running. This is of course against the read option and the left guard has no shot at turning him. He not slips past him, he also fights past the running back quick enough to take down the quarterback.

While it might be hard to see in this clip, Hageman uses his long arms to disengage from the left guard. He quickly finds the ball carrier and is in on the tackle.

More quickness on display here from the left end. The left tackle has no chance at cutting him off to the B-gap on this play and as a result he gets a hit on the quarterback.

Hageman does have the tendency to come off too high at times and he pays for it here in this clip as the left guard gets into his chest which allows the center to come off the combo block easily and get to the second level. Leverage is everything and Hageman needs to come off low more consistently and get his arms up.

Here is another instance of him allowing hands inside of him and he gets pushed way off of the line as a result.

You will see Hageman not give 100% in chase at times and in the clip below he is pretty much at half speed.

Here he is using that size to block a field goal attempt.

Hageman is a grown-ass man for sure with a ton of power. He seems to run hot and cold at times in the games that I watched and I was surprised to see that he only had two sacks in 2013. For a big guy he is very athletic and you can tell that he was recruited originally to be a tight end. He should put on a show at the NFL combine based on some of measurables and times that already floating around on him.

Hageman had a rough upbringing and if you haven’t already read his back story, I highly suggest doing so. He seems to have matured and gotten past a bumpy part of his life and that includes his early college years. He will be very open about his past at the combine and ought to impress with his story.

Hageman shows all of the technical flaws that you would expect to see from a college defensive tackle that has the length that he does. He has to use those long arms of his more consistently and his hand usage really needs some work. Some of the competition that he faced he really should have dominated more in my opinion. That being said, he really can push the pocket when he wants to. More than anything else, he’s just inconsistent.

If the Steelers were to draft Hageman, they would have to do so in the first round if he falls to 15. Keep in mind that he will turn 24 before the season even starts and knowing that he likely will spend a year being broken down and put together again by defensive line coach John Mitchell, as he learns to play the 5-techinque in addition to straightening out his 3-technique deficiencies, that would mean he would be 25 before ever getting snaps as a starter.

As long as he doesn’t flop at the combine and there’s no reason to believe that he will, Hageman will also be attractive to 4-3 teams as a penetrating one-gap defensive tackle. For all of the flaws that might have, they are very fixable and as long as he dedicates himself at the next level, he figures to a very productive defensive player.

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I see a line that starts Cam, Mac and Hage and the rest of our division saying, “uh oh”.. His size and strength would get him into the rotation in year one.

steeltown

Heyward & Hageman would be destructive

Robert Alaniz

My only concern Callen is, if he doesn’t play for a few years, he will be 26 or 27 when he becomes a starter and we’ll be looking at a replacement again in around four years possibly.

Callentown

It’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t get into the lineup to at least spell the starters in year one. Don’t let the age fool you. Being a little older also means he might be more mature and start sooner, possibly by year’s end! Possibly.

michael young

While I’ve heard his story before with other athletes it never gets old. For people to rise from a troubled background it takes personal resilience and the inspired help of others. You want kids like him to succeed for many reasons. I don’t know what his future holds in the NFL but whatever happens he’s already in a better place than most people who start their life in such a manner. I wish the best for this kid wherever he ends up.

stan kemp

Yeah, but Heyward and Tuitt would be more destructive.

taztroy43

I k ind of like tuitt from the fighting irish better… that’s is my own opinion…

Matt Manzo

I want our 1st rounder, this year, to be able to play right now. Not wait a year.

chris ward

Hageman has an impressive frame, has some flaws to work on, but has some upside with his size and speed.

dgh57

It’s interesting he has long arms and great leg power something I thought held Hood back. I’m intrigued by the thought of Hageman(or even Tuitt)putting pressure on the QB in front of Worilds(if resigned) as getting more pressure on the QB starts up front on the DL. Question is can he play the 5-technique DE? We certainly have the coach in John Mitchell to get the job done.

srdan

Hayward and anyone is destructive lol.

srdan

Somewhat similar to Benjamin. Drafting a 24 year old project based on measurables. That is very unlike our organization. For comparison Cam is 24 today.

srdan

We do need a punter. lol

Rookie starters are extraordinary players or need based. For it to happen on defense is more unlikely. But not impossible. It would be a huge lift for this team to get a corner in that can “hang” with AJ and Josh Gordon. But how likely is htat? Can Dennard do that?

RMSteeler

Based on his profile, I can’t see the team picking him at 1.15. Don’t see how he is projected as a top 25 first round pick. Steelers need an immediate, or almost immediate impact player. I have a feeling that some great value impact players will fall to 15 that will be impossible for the team to pass on.

steeltown

Agreed. I think back to the DeCastro pick or even Cam Heyward..when it came time for their selection in those drafts, the choice was easy as those were presumably the best players on the board. Same might be someday said about Jarvis, but that remains to be seen.

I fully expect a TOP Prospect to fall in their laps at #15

James Kling

Tuitt will be 21 this year, just to compare…

steeltown

That would be nice also

ATL96STEELER

I can see him being taken 15th…in a couple of years the DL could be a strength vs just average…immediate impact on DEF…imo that guy is not in this draft. I like the player, but I also want to see the OFC completed with a big playmaker…that’s where the most immediate impact is going to come from.

Chad H

Believe that! I like Tuitt as well and I believe he will be more of a Heyward style player. Hageman looks more like a Hood player which IMO is a 4-3 DT.

ATL96STEELER

I like Tuitt as well, and he may be a better pass rusher, but Hageman is more beast like against the run I think…this has nothing to do with them as pro players, but ND has put a lot of guys in the NFL recently when the team seem to underachieve at the college level when they played the top shelf teams.

stan kemp

So true

dkoy85

Gotta say- I’m pretty excited about this draft. I like the idea of defense in the first 2 rounds(I’d also be happy with one of the top TE’s first round) and WR in the third. The team should be able to get some quality starters and hopefully solid first year contributors.

Love it even more if they traded back to get a TE and accumulate picks and get a couple CB’s to battle it out in camp.

steellife007

I’m all for beefing up the DL, but it has been a while since we spent a 1st or 2nd rd pick on a DB…..Dennard just looks like a steeler.

lefnor

I hope they will do the same, and pick a raw, tall and athletic CB in the 3rd or fourth round like Lewis or Allen. A DL and WR in any order would be my choice in the first two rounds. 1st rd Nix/Hageman and 2nd rd Allen Robinson/Adams/Beckham or 1st rd Benjamin/Watkins and 2nd rd Calvin Barnett for example. Barnett put on a show against Mizzou, he will climb draft boards. Only Calvin Pryor would be an exception. He is the hardest hitting safety prospect for a few years imo. The perfect Steelers safety.

Jay Jaber

He kind of reminds me of Mohamed Wilkerson

Callentown

I haven’t seen Tuitt as much as Hageman, but I see a couple of things that stand out.

Tuitt lines up at DE at times and plays next to Nix.

Hageman is the only real defensive lineman on the Gophers, so he gets double-teams a fair amount.

Btw, since I live in MN, I hear about this guy often. Like them both, but not sure who is the better fit.

ATL96STEELER

Which would be a better fit…idk either, and I find it amusing that some fans actually do think they know, maybe they do and are just in the wrong job…lol…I can say this with confidence though…Colbert & Tomlin should come away with 2 good players @ 17 & 47 that we should see on the field this fall.